iloobia

iloobia is a visual artist, editor, cameraman, illustrator, sculptor and animator. He has a deep connection with SRK and has been involved in one way or another on all SRK projects, from editing long format documentaries to contributing to Stickerbomb. He is one of the key creative forces behind the SRK as well as being a good friend. Currently based in his studio in north London he talks to us about his monstrous creations and insights into this projects.

When did you first discover your passion for film making?

By having a film obsessed father who, whilst travelling the world a lot with work, always took his super 8mm camera with him. The ritual of setting up the screen and projector to watch those films was magical as a kid, and from age 14 I was hi-jacking his camera and recreating ridiculous sci-fi and horror movies in the back garden.

Probably RackGaki, the Japanese graffiti doc I worked on as DOP and editor with the SRK, as it was an opportunity and experience of multiple treasures. I had loads of animation, camera tricks and ideas I was dying to try out but no real subject to apply them to. So to travel to Japan for the first time and have graffiti and its 'habitat' as a subject to bring to life, I went wild.

What is your favourite piece of creative work that you have done either in illustration or film?

That is so difficult, I have a real affection for all my creations, but I have a soft spot for The End of the World Monster. It's a sculpture I completed on the day the Mayans were misunderstood to have predicted the apocalypse. So I like to think of it as the monster that saved the world.

What has been your biggest challenge as a film producer/director?

Making the feature film KanZeOn which was co-directed/co-produced with Neil Cantwell.The scale of it and making a film 100% in Japan on next to no budget was a long, absorbing process. And to sustain our own film over around 4 years in the making when very few people believed in it was a true exercise in self discipline and self motivation.

Are there any film festivals/shows or exhibits showing at the moment or in the future, that you would recommend our viewers right now to go visit?

One day in the future there will be an iloobia world exhibition with robot monsters performing rituals at your feet, interactive paintings that read your mind and giant sculptures that will eat you.So I would recommend going to that.

Where would you like to take your work next?

To make more feature length films. There are two in development, one is being shot right now about slime moulds called The Creeping Garden and the other is a fiction/documentary hybrid about cryogenics.The challenge is to get funding for way out, unconventional films.

To further explore the visual wonder world of iloobia go and visit the website at www.iloobia.com. Highly recommended viewing.